David Frye is Program Associate in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Adjunct Professor of Anthropology, University of Michigan.

Due to the nature of this book and the consequences the author would inevitably face in revealing his identity, the writer has remained anonymous for over sixty years. It is thought that much of the material that this book comprises came from Bishop Johannes Neuhäusler, the auxiliary bishop of Munich, and was ordered to be published by Pope Pius XII himself.

"A delightful new version of two of the best picaresque novels ever written. Rising admirably to the challenges posed by these texts, Frye uses modern American idioms to bridge the gap between Golden Age Spain and our times; the resulting translations are lively and readable. He manages to capture, in modern English, all of the humor of The Grifter's many puns and wordplays while retaining a feel for the original flavor of the work... He should also be congratulated for his fine rendering of verses into English. [Frye's] comprehensive Introduction takes up the culture of Castile in the sixteenth century; his illuminating analysis of Lazarillo de Tormes and The Grifter (El Buscón) will be of great use to those approaching these funny, poignant, and fascinating tales for the first time." --Frederick A. de Armas, University of Chicago